State Laws
Whether you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or straight-supportive, your state’s laws probably have a major impact on your life. State laws govern everything from the legal status of relationships between same-sex partners to the ability of transgender people to list their correct gender identity on their birth certificates. The Human Rights Campaign works with state leaders to advance the rights of LGBT people across the nation, from Alabama to Wyoming.
Here you can learn about the current laws affecting LGBT issues in your state, as well as state legislation — upcoming bills that could change the way you live. You can also learn more about what’s going on in your state and find out about local news, elections and volunteer opportunities.
Select a State
State Laws can be filtered by state or you can view the full list of Laws by selecting "All State Laws."
Kentucky Hate Crimes Law
State law covers hate crimes based on sexual orientation but not gender identity
Kentucky Healthcare Laws
State healthcare laws relating to the LGBT community in the areas of medical decision making and hospital visitation.
Kentucky Marriage/Relationship Recognition Law
Kentucky law purports to ban recognition of marriages between same-sex couples. There are no other forms of relationship recognition for same-sex couples in state law or policies.
Kentucky Non-Discrimination Law
Kentucky law does not address discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
Kentucky School Laws
Kentucky law does not explicitly address school issues relating to sexual orientation or gender identity.
Kentucky Sodomy Law
The Kentucky sodomy law was struck down in 1992.
Kentucky Surrogacy Law
There is no statutory provision in Kentucky directly addressing the validity of surrogacy agreements, but a Kentucky Supreme Court case and an Attorney General opinion indicate that uncompensated agreements may be permissible. The issue of surrogacy agreements involving lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) individuals has not yet been considered by the courts.
Louisiana Adoption Law
Louisiana Birth Certificate Law: Gender Identity Issues
Louisiana will issue new birth certificates to post-operative transsexuals.
Louisiana Custody and Visitation Law
Louisiana courts typically have not restricted the custody and visitation of lesbian or gay parents as long as they conceal their sexual orientations. It would seem that courts would not look favorably on granting custody and/or visitation to a lesbian or gay parent who did not conceal his or her sexual orientation or the nature of a relationship with a same-sex partner. There are no reported or published opinions dealing with transgender parents or same-sex co-parents.
